


Our First Summer

by Killmongersmistress (teakturn), teakturn



Series: A Catfish Christmas [5]
Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: Adopted Children, Children of Characters, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Summer Vacation, Swimming Pools, Tumblr Prompt, Wakanda (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-06-27 17:14:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19795369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teakturn/pseuds/Killmongersmistress, https://archiveofourown.org/users/teakturn/pseuds/teakturn
Summary: A summer check in on Fallon and Erik with their little family.





	Our First Summer

"Ma! Where's my shoes?" The pounding of seven-year-old feet got farther away and then closer as if JK had run in the wrong direction and then stopped to correct course.

Fallon called out to Erik, "Sweetie help JK with his shoes!"

She turned back to the squirming giggling four-year-old on the bed she was trying to dress, "Now you Miss Libby look ready to travel."

"Nah, I told that boy to put his shoes where they belong." Erik walked into the room holding Madeleine in his arms. The little three-year-old looked sleepy and was still in her princess pjs from the night before.

"Erik, the jet will be here any minute can you just put his shoes on so my son won't be walking around Wakanda barefoot?" Fallon lifted Liberté off the bed and kissed her full cheeks. 

She'd always wanted a daughter. Her relationship with her mother had been close before it reached its current state of non-existent. Fallon had always wanted the chance to do things differently than her mother for her own daughters. She'd listen to them and love them and would always be there if they needed her. Now she was the mother of two beautiful little girls she'd give her life for.

"Walking around barefoot sounds like the perfect lesson. Next time he'll listen." Erik said stubbornly. Fallon rolled her eyes and let it go. They switched the girls so that Fallon was getting Madeleine dressed and Erik was holding Libby.

JK still pounded around above their heads. Fallon began stripping Madeleine out of her pjs right as she heard a thud from upstairs. Fallon and Erik paused waiting for the sound of crying or whining to reach them. Instead, JK called down, "I found them,"

"See, he got it." Erik grinned in the face of Fallon's unamused look. 

"Just ...go to the kitchen and give Libby her breakfast it's sitting on the counter." Fallon refocused on her dressing her daughter. They were on a time limit and because of Erik Fallon was more than a little tired, and pleasantly sore.

Fallon finished getting Madeleine dressed and then left her with Erik so he could feed her too. For herself, Fallon rushed through getting ready. She wore a dress cause it was convenient and easy to slip over her body as she toed into her sandals. She'd wrapped her hair the night before but thanks to Erik it was now a mess so she did what she could with it and then jogged out to the main foyer for a headcount.

Erik stood with Libby and Madeleine in his arms. Libby was still sipping on the shake Fallon had made that morning and Madeline was playing with the locs on Erik's head. The father-daughter trio looked cute and Fallon's heart soared at the knowledge that this was hers, this was her reality. But something was missing.

"Wait, where's JK?"

"Here I am, Mommy," JK came at her running at top speed. The outfit she'd laid out for him that morning was definitely on him although it certainly looked awkward.

"Did you dress yourself, son?" Why ask when she knew it was true? JK was no longer her little baby and Erik had begun pushing her more and more to give JK a little more freedom, a little more responsibility. 

JK crashed into her thighs and stepped all over her feet. Fallon bit back a curse and steadied her son’s balance with one hand so he wouldn’t send them both toppling right to the floor. He was getting so big it wouldn’t be long until he was taller than her and she had to look up at him. The thought caused a pang in her heart even though Fallon knew it was a good thing. Still, she couldn’t help but miss their nights in that rocking chair, singing Fleetwood Mac, and sniffing the top of his head for that new baby smell.

“Yes Mama, look” JK stomped his feet and his shoes lit up. Surprisingly his shoes were on the right feet. It was the only part of his outfit, besides his shorts, that he had put on right.

“Cool, baby! And you got your shoes on the right feet, high five!” They slapped five and, because Fallon couldn’t resist it, she kissed JK’s forehead.

But his collared shirt was still a little wonky. Fallon’s fingers itched to correct it but Erik had told her over and over again he couldn’t learn if she was always doing it for him.

“Fix ya, collar son.” Erik tapped at his own neck to indicate where JK should adjust his shirt. JK tried to look at his collar, and when he couldn’t he reached up and felt around until he felt what his father had pointed out to him. And just like that his outfit was fixed, without any help from Fallon whatsoever.

Soon he won’t need her help with anything at all. The thought was enough to make Fallon tear up. She angrily blinked the tears away. The day would be busy enough without her crying added to the mix. The jet arrives, saving Fallon from herself. It takes thirty minutes to get the kids and their belongings all packed up in the jet. Madeleine begins crying when the Dora Milaje appears from the jet to help them with their bags. Erik passes her off to Fallon and sets Libby down so that she can follow them into the jet.

“Shh, shh, Maddy. Mommy’s here, there’s nothing to be afraid of sweetheart.” Fallon strokes the cloud of hair around Maddy’s wet face. She rocks back and forth, pausing only to give Libby a hand into her car seat.

JK is in his element and follows the Dora Milaje around while they pack away their belongings. The last time he’d seen them he’d been four and Fallon and Erik were still waiting back to hear from the agency regarding Libby. They hadn’t known about Maddy at the time and they made frequent trips to Wakanda so JK could see his relatives and they could have a break from the stress and wait.

“Mama, who that,” Libby pointed at a Dora manning the ship. She was studying some complicated-looking hologram and probably looked strange and new to the little girl. Fallon remembers meeting the Dora for the first time and being at once intimidated and in awe of the warrior women.

“That’s the Dora Milaje, they protect Uncle T and Aunt Shuri in Wakanda.” Fallon adjusted Maddy in her lap. She’d quieted down but refused to move her face out of Fallon’s neck. It was a little uncomfortable but you’d have to put a gun to her head before Fallon would make her daughter move. Libby mouthed the words Wakanda and stared back at the warrior woman with wide, blue eyes. 

JK and Erik reappeared right as the engines began powering up. The noise caused Maddy to start crying again which made Libby shoot Fallon worried little looks. Fallon only had so many hands so she called out to Erik so he could take the other seat next to Libby and make sure she wasn’t too frightened during the trip. JK was unbothered by the noise. He climbed into the seat next to his mother without help and buckled himself in.

When he looked over and saw Maddy crying he put on a brave face that reminded Fallon so much of Erik it made her heart clench, “Don’t worry Maddy. It’s okay. We’re going to Gramma’s house.” he used his little hand to pat his sister's knee, something Fallon had done many times to him when he was younger.

Maddy stared back at her brother with wide, teary eyes but she quieted down a bit. For the rest of the trip, any time Maddy got fussy JK would talk her down. It was so amazing to watch Fallon kept as quiet as a church mouse because she didn’t want to miss a second of it. She and Erik had worried about JK’s reaction to sharing his parents. For the first four years of his life, he had his parents entirely to himself. When they’d started the adoption process they’d been honest with him and told him that they were going to bring home a sibling for him but that didn’t mean they loved him any less or that they were trying to replace them.

Erik especially had impressed upon their son the importance of protecting his siblings and being a good big brother to them. At the time they hadn’t known whether they’d be getting a daughter or a son but gender didn’t matter to them. JK would be the oldest, he was their first. They wanted their kids to have a good relationship with one another without any rivalry’s or resentments.

When they neared Wakanda it became smooth sailing. Erik left his seat to go chat with the Dora about royal business Fallon assumed. JK went with him along with Libby. She’d begun copying everything JK did which was funny because JK was still at that age where he was copying everything Erik did. Fallon stayed in her seat with Maddy, humming Fleetwood Mac and rocking her sweet, sleeping girl.

They landed in the thick heat of Wakanda some time midmorning. Maddy still slept in Fallon’s arms so it was up to Erik to hold Libby and JK’s hand on their way down to the landing pad where Ramonda, T’Challa, and Shuri all stood behind T’Chaka in his wheelchair. It wasn’t until Fallon and Erik were in hearing distance before Shuri called out to them.

“N’Jemah I almost didn’t recognize you,” she smiled at JK who giggled up at his aunt and threw himself at her.

“N’Jemah!” Erik called out sternly, “What did I tell you?”

Fallon looked between her husband and son curiously, had she missed something on the flight over?

Obediently JK released Shuri and saluted her with his arms across his chest. He looked as serious as his father and held the pose until Shuri saluted him back. 

“Now run along to Gramma and Papa, they might have presents for you.” Shuri winked at JK and turned back to Fallon and Erik when he ran off. Fallon watched carefully as her son greeted his grandparents and Uncle.

“Now you,” Shuri bent at the waist to look at Libby. She was petite for a four-year-old, still underweight from the hard life she’d had before coming to live with Erik and Fallon. She stared at Shuri with wide blue eyes and pressed against Erik’s leg for protection.

“Are you Liberte?” Shuri smiled. Libby nodded shyly. “Your papa has told me all about you, I’m so happy to meet you.” Shuri offered the girl one hand, but Libby shrank back into Erik’s side.

“She’s still a little cautious around new people. Once she sees you with JK she’ll warm up a little more.” Fallon explained so Shuri wouldn’t be hurt by the rejection.

Shuri’s smile widened and she stood to her full height, “She takes after her big brother, huh?”  
“You know it. Those two are like partners in crime.” Erik lifted Libby into his arms. He gave Shuri a meaningful look, “Like some other little girl I know.”

Shuri scoffed, “Little girl?”

Fallon laughed but cut in before Erik and Shuri could really get to bickering, “I love you both but let's get inside. The kids need lunch and water and I don’t want the girls out in the sun too long.”

Shuri agreed and together she, Fallon, Erik, and the girls joined the rest of their group. JK was telling them about his private school and his sisters, sparing no detail even as he skipped over details and told the story out of order. Ramonda greeted her nephew and Fallon warmly. She fawned over Libby and Maddy. Erik and T’Challa greeted each other and immediately launched into a conversation about work that Fallon didn’t care to listen to.

As a unit, they returned to the palace, stopping briefly at their respective rooms to freshen up before lunch. Maddy woke up just in time for them to sit down in a cool, shady garden. The adults ate and caught up while the kids half ate half made a mess of themselves. Fallon couldn’t get out of mommy mode and Ramonda teased her for it.

“I remember those days. Always a mouth to feed, a wound to soothe, a little body to cuddle.” Ramonda’s eyes were soft as she gazed at the children playing.

“Do you ever miss it?” Fallon asked. It was something that was on her mind more and more lately now that JK was growing up and finding his independence.

Ramonda’s gaze swept over the children to where the adults she raised were now bickering over something Fallon was willing to bet was trivial, “Sometimes,”

“Are you deadass right now, T? The Wiz is an American classic!” Erik argued hotly.

“I’m not American,” T’Challa said simply

“Okay but you black right, you like black cinema right?” 

T’Challa shrugged, “Does the two have to be mutually exclusive for me to like this film?”

“If you don’t want to be a dumbass it does!”

Ramonda and Fallon shared a look, “Sometimes I’m glad to be done with it all.”

Their second day in Wakanda was spent in the many pools of the palace. Fallon made Erik promise to leave all work talk at the door and focus on their children. JK had learned to swim when he was younger and took to the shallow end of the pool with little fear. He splashed around with Shuri and played Marco Polo while Fallon and Erik stayed with Maddy and Libby.

Maddy loved the water. If it wasn’t for Fallon’s grip on her the three-year-old would have tried to doggy paddle right into the deep end. Her thick curly hair had been braided and pulled away from her face allowing the vitiligo around her neck a lot more sun exposure. She suffered through every reapplication of sunscreen Fallon put on her as long as she got to jump right back into the pool and splash around.

Erik was near the pool steps teaching Libby how to swim. She was a fast learner but kept getting distracted by Shuri and JK. Erik was patient with her and whenever she got distracted he’d tickle and splash with her until he could get her to focus on floating and kicking her little legs in the water. She liked the sunscreen reapplication even less than Maddy did. Fallon didn’t care, brown skin didn’t stop you from getting sunburned or cancer.

Ramonda and T’Challa were busy with a Council meeting so T’Chaka was with the rest of them at the pools. T’Chaka watched but did not participate in his families activities so Fallon kept him company while watching her children from a lounging chair.

“How’s the heat treating you? Do you need any more water?” Fallon asked every time she could bring herself to look away from Maddy blowing bubbles in the shallow end and Libby being taught how to swim by Erik not too far away from her. 

T’Chaka waved away her offer every time. He really did seem content to watch so Fallon tried to leave him be. After his stroke the year before the former King had become more watchful, barely participating in family activities though he was always there when they were happening. Fallon couldn’t help but worry for him. In a way, he’d become a father figure to her and once she’d decided to love and care about you she couldn’t not do it. 

With T’Challa and Shuri’s warning that he might not have long left Fallon wanted nothing more than to dote on him and show her children the man who’d raised their father.

“Fallon,” T’Chaka called to her. When she turned to meet his eyes he smiled warmly at her. He held out his hand and Fallon took it. His grip was strong and his hands felt soft and cool. They sat and watched the family frolic and play in the sun in silence together. It was nice, and Fallon couldn’t wait to spend every summer from here on out doing the same thing.


End file.
